Looks like we’ll never be satisfied.
Singapore is well known for many things – delicious food, Singlish, bans on numerous things and, of course, complaining. Not all complaints are constructive, but businesses and the government must take into consideration and understand consumer feedback to help improve themselves. In fact, consumer feedback is one of the factors that can help a business gain credibility and support.
With brick and mortar stores facing a grim situation, and technology at our disposal, the E-commerce scene is expected to thrive. From clothes and groceries to accommodation and car rides, one can get anything they may want with just a few clicks. But no matter how convenient these shops are, they are still businesses, and as all businesses have their fair share of satisfied and dissatisfied customers. It is important for companies to learn and adapt to the changing needs of consumers.
A study by Bain & Company found that consumers in Southeast Asia do not fully trust E-commerce platforms and that the complaints are typical with early-stage commerce businesses. iPrice partnered with Trusted Company, a third party platform for consumer reviews, to conduct further studies on this matter. They analyzed over 30,000 reviews and complaints and here are some of the interesting findings about Singaporean consumers.
1. Singaporeans demand the most refunds
As compared to our counterparts in SEA, Singaporeans have the highest expectations on E-commerce stores. 29% of Singaporeans have requested for a refund as compared to only 8.3% of Malaysians.
2. Younger generations are less likely to be satisfied with E-commerce sites.
Post millennials have higher expectations as compared to older generation. Reviewers below 20 years of age are 13% more likely to give a bad rating as compared to those between 25 – 30 years of age.
3. Singaporeans are more likely to ‘yell’ in reviews
Singaporeans are 25% more likely to leave a review in all CAPITAL LETTERS to voice their anger.
4. Singaporeans are most unhappy with their E-commerce scene
On average, Singaporeans are the most dissatisfied lot with their E-commerce experience, giving an average of a mere 2.9 out of 5 stars. In comparison, Indonesians gave an average of 4 out of 5 stars.
5. Singaporeans love to share their good experiences
Though we are the most demanding compared to the other SEA counterparts, Singaporeans are also more likely to share their good experience if an E-commerce site meets or exceeds their expectations. They are twice as likely to share their experiences as compared to Indonesians.